Call to Duty
by JeriStone
Summary: This is a PRZLSR and eventually DT AU story. It contains two OC and Rated R for later chapters. Please R and R. Chapter 7 & 8 are up.
1. Call to Duty Prologue

Call to Duty

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Power Rangers, characters, zords, etc. They are owned by Saban and ABC.but the two originals, Jeri Stone and Marley Oliver are MINE!!! All MINE!!!

A.N.: I know that this may not fall under proper circumstances or chronological order but since when does an imagination follow any kind of order!!! This is an AU of MMPR-LSR and eventually DT.

Prologue

From Tommy Oliver's POV

I couldn't help it. It was an emotion that just wouldn't go away. We were all gathered in the Power Chamber; new rangers and old.

I glanced at all of them. It was curiously at first, then a moment of quiet introspection. Most of them had replaced other rangers. But there was still one original ranger left. That would be Miss Jerine Chasen Stone, our beloved purple ranger.

She was there from the beginning. When Jason, Zack, Trini, Kimberly and Billy were all selected, so was she. She was the wallflower, the studious one, the one that accepted everyone for who they were. When my sister and I moved to town, she accepted us with open arms, which I think helped Marley mellow out, even if it was only slightly.

She was an Angel Grove Lifer, born and raised here. She and Billy were next door neighbors. She is like our little sister. I would protect her if she were a member of the family. But all the crew felt that way. She is the sweetest, most considerate individual that anyone knows. And I'd be damned if anyone ever laid a finger on her.

From what I learned from the other guys, Jeri was the youngest. Her sister Chandra was drop dead gorgeous but after she and Jason broke up, she left town. I think that hurt Jeri a bit and she will get quiet whenever anyone mentions her.

The same thing goes for her mother. Her mom left when she was a little kid. I think she misses her but she never says anything. Jeri is one of those types that she holds everything in. One of these days, she's going to blow up and it won't be pretty.

I've often wondered about her. She's a very pretty girl. Long curly chestnut hair, blue eyes that dance and twinkle with excitement, a cute button nose, not my type really but a good woman to the right guy. As long as I've known her, she's never really had a boyfriend, well not one that she speaks of.

I know she has a bright future. She'll make us all proud one day when we can honestly say that we knew her and knew that she'd become something great!!

I just wish this wasn't the end for us.

Jeri's POV

I glanced around the room, gazing at friends. Mostly old but a few new. Tommy, Kat, Tanya and Adam stood behind me, stoic, sullen and just flat out depressed. Much like me.

It was, in essence, graduation day.

We were leaving the ranger hood behind.

I watched, with tears in my eyes, as Alpha transferred Tommy, Kat, Tanya and Adam's powers to the four new rangers. It was a sad and dreary day. TJ Johnson, Carlos Valerte, Ashley Hammond and Cassie Chan assumed the new powers.

"Alpha, what about my powers?" I asked, quietly.

"They will be retired until we can find a deserving replacement for you, Jerine." Alpha said.

It had been the hardest and most excruciating thing for the last three years. It had also been one of the most profound things I could've done in my entire life. It was something I'd never forget.

I still remember that fateful day at the youth center. Three years ago, to be exact.

Jason Scott, Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, Trini Kwan, Kimberly Harte and I were hanging out there. It was something that we always did and we had grown accustomed to it.

The Youth Center and Juice Bar was **the **place to hang out. Everyone hung out here. I knew that because I grew up here in Angel Grove. I was used to the quiet living in a smaller city.

But that all changed. On that fateful day, everything changed.

Strange things started happening and we were brought to a darkened power chamber.

It was there that an interdimensional being named Zordon, and his trusty sidekick Alpha 5 did all their dirty work. And in some weird twist of fate, they had selected us to be the Power Rangers.

I often wondered how different my life would have been had they not been there. I wondered if I would have been attacked by monsters or if my dad would have moved us to a safer location. Or even worse, if I would have died.

It was hard keeping this super hero thing a secret. Especially from a cop, like my father Lt. Jerome B. Stone. It really didn't matter though. Dad and I were close. He just assumed that I was growing up and that I was hanging out with my friends.

We've been through quite a bit. It was almost too much. First, Jason, Zack and Trini left. They had been selected to go to Switzerland to be part of a World Peace Conference. They were replaced with Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park and Aisha Campbell; all transfer students from Stone Canyon. Then Kim left to train for the Pan Global games. Katherine Hillard, after being a baddy and working with the dark side, claimed her power coin and became the new pink ranger. Then Aisha went to save us all and was replace with Tanya Sloan. And just recently, we gained and lost a gold ranger. Tommy recruited Jason, who was just coming back from the Peace Conference. He returned in just the nick of time. Through it all, we stood united. I was the purple ranger, which I swear is my signature color even before I became the purple ranger.

This was like a second family to me. I wasn't really close to my real family, other than my father. It wasn't like I had the chance.

Oriana was gone before I had the chance to know her. She lived in Atlanta and worked for CNN. Harley is a bad ass and won't ever clean his act up. He's never home. And Chandra, my twin sister, left home last year. No one has heard from her since. I'm sure it has something to do with her broken relationship with Jason.

Now, it's just me and Dad. Well, that is, until I go to Mariner Bay for college.

We all solemnly left the power chamber and headed back into town.

"I'll see you guys later." Tommy said, heading into another direction.

"Huh? Tommy?" I asked

"Big race today." He said calmly.

"But it's graduation day." Katherine protested.

"It's just a ceremony." He said, calmly

"Tommy. That's not fair!" Tanya yelled.

"Just forget it, guys." I said as I started heading home.

"Jer, where are you going?" Adam asked.

"Hey! I have a valedictorian speech to half-ass my way through."

"Jeri, half-assing something? That's a first." Adam retorted. I reached over and slugged him in the arm

"Shut up."

"Ouch!"

"Whiner!"

I took off running. It was just in time to see my dad beaming with pride.

Graduation went without a hitch and I was now free from the boring high school life. Of course, the Oliver's were missing from the graduation ceremony. That didn't surprise me. Tommy, I knew would but Marley had been looking forward to this. She'd even had big plans to screw everything up and to piss Mr. Caplan off. She wasn't there either.

My grad party was the only time I really saw them that summer. It was the last time I saw any of them. We all pretty much headed in our own directions after graduation. And I missed them terribly.

I worked two jobs that last summer in Angel Grove. I waitressed at the Juice Bar and became a nursing assistant at the Angel Grove Senior Care Center. I figured some of that training would help when I went to Mariner Bay.

My name is Jerine Chasen Stone. I'm the youngest daughter of Jerome B. Stone. Jerome is a former officer of the law and now proprietor to the Juice Bar. That's in addition to his private investigation duties.

He's got Bulk and Skull to keep him company and to take care of him now. I'm not that worried about him because I know he'll be all right.

Dad say's that I'm just like my mom. I always want to take care of people and I want to help them. I decided that I wanted to be an EMT and then eventually a pediatrician. I loved children and wanted to have some of my own someday.


	2. New Beginnings

CTD chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Power Rangers. They are owned by ABC and Saban. But the two o.g. characters are MINE!!

A.A.N.: I'm not sure of the locale of Mariner Bay so I made one up. Deal with it!!!

Chapter 1 New Beginning.

"C'mon Jeri. The cars already loaded. It's just waiting for its driver!"  
"Yes, Daddy."

"I want you to call as soon as you get settled." He said with a worried look.

"Daddy, I'll be fine. It's only an eight hour drive.

"I know." He said, putting a sturdy hand on my shoulder.

"Dad..."

"I know. I love you, Jerine. I only want what's best for you. I'm just scared. You're my baby."

"I love you, Daddy...Now knock it off. I'll be fine."

I walked over to the '68 Mustang. He and I had spent all summer rebuilding and restoring it. It was dark blue. Dad said no to purple even if it was my signature color. It became my graduation present from Dad. I was proud of the car.

I got in on the drivers side. I looked up at Jerome. He smiled and waved and I was off. I looked in the rearview mirror. Dad was standing in the driveway wearing a blue and white Hawaiian shirt and khaki Dockers. Then I glanced up at myself. I detected a hint of wetness in my clear blue eyes and then cursed myself out. My chestnut hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the curls were everywhere.

Washington State was my next destination.

I pulled up in front of a massive building. It seemed to stretch out for miles. That was until I realized that it was connected to Mariner General, one of the best hospital facilities in the country.

Mariner Bay was definitely larger that I had expected but then again, I was ready for a challenge.

"C'mon Jer. It's not like Zedd and Rita are watching and waiting in the main doors." I mumbled to myself. I parked and headed for the main entrance.

There were college students everywhere. Most of them looked like they were upperclassmen. I walked past quite a few groups of them and headed into the building.

Four large tables stood against the wall. Each armed with upper classmen. I assumed it was to check all the new students in. I walked to the table with the sign posted S-Z.

A pretty brunette with bright blue eyes sat there. She seemed friendly enough.

"Hi. Name please."

"Jerine Chasen Stone."

She found my name and highlighted it. I noticed none of the other names were highlighted. Maybe she was just highlighting in coming freshmen.

"Hi. I'm Kelsey Winslow." She offered.

"Hello."

"You're moving into Beacon Hall, right?"

"Uh yeah. I think that's what the letter said."

"Great. I'm in room 309. If you ever want to hang out or just talk, just come and see me."

"Okay. Cool. Maybe later?" I asked.

"Sure and you can meet my roommate."  
"That'd be great."  
"Great. See ya later!"  
"Bye Kelsey.

I grabbed my packet and headed for the door. Not really paying attention to where I was going. Of course, me being klutzy and all, I slammed right into someone, sending my packet and contents flying everywhere.

"I'm so sorry." I said. I could feel my cheeks turn bright red. When I looked up to see who my victim was, I blushed even more. "I am soooo sorry. I really am."

"Don't mention it. Are you alright?" he asked. His voice was deep, sexy.

"Urm...yeah."

I looked up at him. He had to be 6' 2". He had shaggy brown hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen. He was also the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on.

"I suppose I should go." He said, almost hesitantly.

"Uh...yeah. Me too. Again, I'm sorry for crashing into you." I apologized again.

"Hey. No problem." He said with a warm smile. I melted on the spot.

I smiled back, regained my composure and then head out the door.

I half said to myself, "I hope they all look like that." Glancing back at the young man.

"They all look like what?" a voice said behind me. It sounded vaguely familiar.


	3. An Old Friend

CTD chapter 2 An Old Friend

I stopped and turned around. A huge smile crept across my face.

With onyx black hair and eyes so blue they were purple, wearing her trademark outfit of black leather micro-mini, white Poets' shirt and black thigh-high leather boots, stood my best friend in the entire world.

"Ohmigod. Hell has frozen over." I exclaimed.

"What?"

"Marley Love Oliver? On a college campus?" I said sarcastically.

"Oh fuck off, Stone!!" She said laughing. "I actually enrolled here."  
"For what?" I asked shocked.

"The nursing program. I figure if I had to help old guys, I might as well give 'em a boner while I did it!"  
"Marley!!" I yelled.

Yep, that was Marley. She was Tommy's never mentioned but always heard sister. She was a complete and total opposite of him. Literally. Marley described herself as an herbalist, a connoisseur of fine liqueurs and a teacher of many positions. Most of the time, she hung around with Bulk and Skull, but when she needed a female perspective or if she just got bored with them, she hung out with me and tell me EVERYTHING.

Now, here she stood on the campus of Mariner Bay University, as far away from home as I was and the oldest friend I'd known.

"So Marley, where are you staying?" I asked.

"Beacon Hall." I guess it's one of the better dorms on campus. I already met my roommate."  
"Really?" I haven't met mine yet."  
"Mine is some girl who reminds me of you. Always helping people, perky, friendly...Yeah, just like you."

"What's her name?"  
"Kelsey. She's from Mariner Bay."

"I think she just checked me in."

"Oh...okay. So what was that all about when you came out of the office?" She asked.

"Oh, that. I bumped into some really hot guy."

"Sure. You "accidentally" bumped into a guy and he just happened to be hot." Marley said sarcastically.

"Well yeah!" I exclaimed. "C'mon Marley!! Let's roll!"

TBC.

Please let me know what you think. Please RR.


	4. Moving in

Chpt. 3 Moving In

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to PR. Saban and Disney do. I'm just playin' around with them.

Marley and I pulled up to the curb in front of a large brick building marked "Beacon Hall". Outside the building; two guys stood. One guy was an Afro-American gentleman. He was wearing a green long sleeved t-shirt and black jeans. He wore a black leather vest over the shirt and wore a cowboy hat. The other guy was an Asian-American. He was wearing a blue t-shirt and black shorts.

I got out of the car and headed over. Marley walked ahead of me.

"Hey Joel!" she started. "I have another fresh one for ya." She said with a wink

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Marley?" I said, slapping her arm.

"She just means that you're another freshman. Marley...well, she's a bit of a handful." Joel said, laughing.

"Yeah, I know that. I've known her for awhile."

"So, what's your name?" the other one said.

"Jerine Stone. I prefer Jeri though."

"I'm Chad."

"Hi, Chad. What's your major?" I asked, curious.  
"Water Rescue Enforcement.", he replied.  
"Sounds fascinating." I said, impressed.  
"Nah, not really. It's just a fancy wording for Lifeguard." Joel followed.

Joel looked down at his clipboard. "Okay, Jeri, you are in room 302."

"Okay."

Joel gave me instructions on how to obtain my dorm key and I took care of that. I went back out to my car and grabbed some of my things. Marley followed me.

As soon as I had a few boxes, Joel came running over.

"Let me help you with that." He said.

"Thanks, Joel."

"No problem. Anything for a cute girl." He said with a wink

I blushed but only slightly.

We walked through the door and up the elevator to my room. I opened it slowly to find that my roommate had found her way there. I set my boxes down and looked at her, trying to figure her out.

She was pretty. Blonde hair, blue eyes and pouty lips. She was wearing a pink tank top and jeans. She was reading through what I assumed was a medical book. When I dropped my boxes, she looked up at me.

"Hi. You must be my roommate." She said, happily, getting up from her chair.

"Yeah, I guess I am." I said, laughing.

"I'm Dana. Dana Mitchell." She said, extending her hand.  
"Jeri Stone. Nice to meet you." I said, shaking it.

"So where are you from?" She asked.

"Angel Grove, California. You?"

"Born and raised in Mariner Bay." She replied. "I'm Pre-Med"

"Me, too. I'm thinking of going the EMT path and then going into pediatrics."

"I was thinking about the EMT path, too."

"Jeri, I'm going to go get more of your things." Joel interrupted.

"Oh, let me go with you."

"Nah, that's okay. Marley's going with me."

"Are you sure that's a good thing?" I joked.

"SHUT UP JERI!! I HEARD THAT!" Marley yelled from down the hall. Dana just laughed.

"You know her?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's my best friend."

"Oh." She said quietly. "I don't have any friends from here."

"Well, Dana, I think we'll change that."

TBC

AN: Please, please, please review. I want everyone's input into this. I can't make it a better fic if I don't know what you guys think!!!

**EtceteraKit:** Thank you so much for your advice. Hopefully, I gave you a better idea as to what Jeri is all about. I'm glad that you like the story and Jeri. I'll work on improving it. And I agree with you 110. The LSR doesn't get enough credit or fics for that matter. And yes, that would be Mister Grayson in the beginning chapter.


	5. Friendships and Other Things

**CTD Chapter 4**

**Friendships**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own PR, Buena Vista does. But don't even think about the OC's.

**A.N.:** Please review. I'd like a little input as to what you'd like to see in the story.Also, I don't know specifics as far as ages go so Kelsey is older than Dana in this story.

**Friendships and Other things**

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Dana and I shared everything. She had lived with her father who was a firefighter. Her mother had died when she was young as did her brother.

She mentioned that her father had recently started working on a new project. She really didn't give me any details about it though.

But even with those few hours, Dana and I bonded. And when Marley walked over sometime later with Kelsey, we became a close foursome. We talked into the wee hours of the morning.

The next day was freshman orientation. We assembled in a large hall on campus.

Marley, Dana and I sat next to each other. Kelsey being a sophomore didn't have to go so she stayed back at the dorms.

"Okay gang. Can we settle down for a minute?" a deep, sexy voice rang out. I looked up and my heart stopped.

It was HIM.

"That's him." I whispered to Marley.

"Who? Tall, Dark and you hit him on purpose?" she asked curiously.

"Yes!"  
"Where?"  
"Up front. He's wearing the red long sleeved shirt."

Marley faced forward for a brief second and then looked back at me.

"Holy shit, Jeri! He's hot!!" She said loudly.

"Marley!! Shut up!"

Dana sat there. She suppressed a giggle. "Yeah and he's looking this way." She whispered.

"Girls! Is there anything that you'd like to share with the rest of us?" he asked.

Marley stood up and looked him in the eye.

"Yes, sir! My friend, Jeri Stone, here thinks that you're fuckably hot!" she beamed.

I stood up. "You'll have to excuse Marley." I could feel that all too familiar burn in my cheeks. "She's still drunk from last night." I said as I pushed Marley back to her seat. I flopped down next to her, completely mortified.

I glanced over at her.

"Marley, how could you do that to me?" I hissed

"Jer, you and I both know how long it's been since you've had a tumble in the bundle. I'm just helping things along."

"Marley, in case you've forgotten, I don't need any help!"

"Fine...but when we're 60, you'll be the one with 50 cats named for ex-boyfriends and not happily married."  
"I will not have 50 cats!!

She just started to giggle again.

Soon orientation was underway and I learned hot and sexy had a name.

"I'm Carter Grayson, a third year emergency engineer major." He announced to everyone.

But I didn't need to hear anymore. I was in love.

After orientation, we broke for lunch. Marley, Dana and I were about to leave when I heard my name.

"Jerine Chasen Stone. Please come to the front of the class."


	6. In Trouble

**CTD Chapter Six…In trouble**

**A.N.: **I apologize profusely for not updating in a very long time. I didn't want to leave ya hanging. I just ran out of steam for this story but decided to pick it up again because I had some writers block with another fic. Enjoy! And as always, please review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own PR, Buena Vista does. But don't even think about the OC's.

I knew right away that I was in trouble. I glanced over at Marley and Dana who both gave me looks that read. "Oh boy! Now you did it!"

I quietly and slowly walked to the front of the auditorium where Carter stood.

I gulped and then spoke. "You wanted to speak to me Mr. Grayson?"

He looked at me. Anger flickered in his eyes and that spelled trouble for me.

"Fuckably hot! What is that? I hope you understand that that is a form of sexual harassment."

"Look…" I started as Carter held up his hand.

"Let me finish. Here at MBU, we try to treat everyone with respect. If you're going to have a problem with that then I suggest you take your studies elsewhere."

"Oh get over yourself. In the first few minutes of speaking, you have decreased your attraction to that of a small bug. And I didn't say it. If you remember correctly, _Mister Grayson, _my friend Marley Oliver said that. That's just the way she is and I _respect _her for that. And if anyone needs to learn a little respect around here, I think it's you."

"What are you talking about?" He asked curiously.

"The simple fact is respect comes from an open mind. And you have clearly clouded your judgment for me by implying that I am a disrespectful person because of a comment that someone said. Nothing could be further from the truth. But now, since you blew it, you may never have the chance to find out."

With that, I spun on my heel and met Dana and Marley outside. We were nearly silent as we made our way out to the front and to the veranda. We chose a table towards the center and sat down.

"So what was that all about?" Dana asked.

"Mr. Grayson was getting a lecture on respect. That's all. I mean, who the hell does this guy think he is? He's only a student."

"But he's one of the most respected students on campus." A voice said interrupting us. We all looked up to see Joel standing behind us. "He also happens to be one of my closest friends."

All I could think about was how I blew everything. Joel was an RA and he was also one of Carter's best friends. Marley was going to hate me for blowing things for her and Joel.

Dana just looked worried.

"Relax, girls. I'm not going to run and tell him that you were bitching about him. Hell, I know he can get anal. That's part of who he is. Just give him a chance and get to know him. He really isn't that bad of guy."

"Besides Jer, he's fuckably hot." Marley stated, which only made Dana giggle in spite of herself.

"Oh! Jeri has a thing for Carter…That's interesting." Joel said.

I relayed the fact that I had crashed into him the day before and how he was the leader of our orientation. I, however, said that he wasn't worth my time after he berated me.

After our conversation, we headed to the campus hangout, Frothy Joes. It was a great little coffee place not far from campus. It also reminded me a lot of home. It calmed my nerves down enough to prepare for the first day of classes, which was coming sooner than I had thought.


	7. First Semester

**Disclaimer: Please see previous chapters.**

**Chapter 7: The First Semester and another chance**

* * *

After the bumbling beginnings at MBU, I decided to do what I did best: keep to myself and study.

That was how the first half quarter went. I'd go to class and do my homework, papers and whatever else the professors threw at me. Instead of getting acquainted with other students, I got acquainted with studying and burying myself in my books.

I was bound and determined to succeed at any cost. The big cost of being studious was the lack of social life. Of course, I brought that on myself and there was really nothing I could do about that.

But that all paid off when I got my grades for the first semester. I maintained a 4.0 making my father very proud.

Christmas break was a good thing for me. I got to go home and be with Dad. We got a Christmas miracle when my sister came home from wherever she was. She didn't say much about where she'd been but I think Dad and I were both just glad that she was finally home.

Chandra just said that she was missing someone and I assumed it was Jason. It very well could've been but we didn't linger on that topic either.

I returned to Mariner Bay a few weeks later. Marley had stayed behind and spent the holiday with Kelsey.

"And I thought Kimberly's mother was a bitch." She started as I walked into her room.

"Kelsey's grandmother makes Kim's mom look like the good witch."

"Why? That bad, huh?"

"Yep." Then she got quiet. She looked up at me. "Jer, when you were home, did you happen to see my brother at all?" She asked, quietly.

"No, why, Marley?"

"I-I just…I don't know. I guess I miss him, that's all."

I walked up to her and felt her head for a fever.

"M-Love, are you feelin' okay?" I asked.

She slapped my hand away.

"Yes, Jerky, I'm fine."

Dana returned about a week later in a very chipper mood. She just looked at me and smiled.

"What's with you?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing." She said with a sly grin.

"Dana."

"Okay. I was shopping with my dad." She started. "We just happened to run into a buddy of yours."

"Oh?" I asked, assuming it was Marley.

"Carter."

"Oh, Jesus Martha, Dana."

"Well, I happened to tell him that I was your roomie."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"Oh Jeri. I think he likes you." She said, sweetly.

"Oh please."

"He was asking about you. And he asked where you were." She continued.

"Far away from him." I spat.

"Well he did ask if you were seeing someone."

"Dana…"

"I told him you weren't. I really didn't say much after that." She finished.

"Great!" I said. I flopped down in a chair and looked up at her.

"Jeri, I think you should go for it. He's really hot and you two would be so cute together."

"DANA!" I shrieked.

We sat there in an awkward silence. I had to put this all together. Carter Grayson was asking about me. ME! Little, studious Jeri Stone. What was he thinking and what was I thinking. I was not ready for this, not by a long shot.

"Dana. I'm not going to get involved with anyone. I've got my studies to worry about."  
"Jer. That's all you're worried about." She said, getting disgusted. "You barely went out last semester."

"I can't succeed if I don't study."  
"You also need to interact with other people. Spending time with a variety of people makes you a better doctor."  
"Okay, fine. I'll work on my social life. I'll go out. But not with him.


	8. A Curveball

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

**Chapter 8: A Curveball**

* * *

I did what Dana asked and I went out. Marley, Kelsey, Dana and I went out a lot when we all got back from our vacation. A week later, it was back to business.

One of my main classes was a first aid class. It was required for anyone going into the medical field. It was a field that I was still deliberating if I wanted to go into or not.

"I'll ace this course." I said, confidently as I walked into the classroom.

"Especially if you get to practice mouth-to-mouth on him," Dana said, pointing to the front of the class.

"Damn it all to Hell." I muttered.

Carter stood in the front of the classroom. He was talking to the instructor and engaging in a very light conversation with some of the other students.

I went about halfway down the stairs and into an aisle. Dana sat down next to me. It was a relatively small class. I was not going to be able to avoid Carter this time around.

"Hm, I think its fate." Dana giggled.

"Shut up." I hissed.

Then I felt a presence next to me. I looked up into brilliant blue eyes. They were staring right back at me.

"Carter." I said, coldly.

"Hello, Jeri." He returned. "Mind if I sit here?"

"I don't see why not. Although there ARE other desks in the room."

He sat down next to me. The warm comforting smells of Cool Water wafted over. He looked good and he smelled good. I'd never hear the end of it if I wasn't nice to him.

I glanced over at Dana who was snickering quietly.

"So Jeri," I heard. I looked back over at Carter. "I know we've never really had a chance to talk before."  
"Yeah. So."

"And I know I was presumptuous early on and I'm very sorry for that."  
"Apology accepted."  
"Thank you. Can I reintroduce myself?"

"Sure."  
"I'm Carter Grayson. Third year Emergency Engineer major. It's just a fancy word for a firefighter"  
"Jeri Stone. Pre-med but thinking about switching."

"Nice to meet you," He said with a warm smile.

"Same here," I said, smiling back at him. "And that's very cool about being a firefighter. My father was a cop."  
"Really? Was?" He asked.

"Yeah. He retired early. He's a private investigator and juice bar owner.

"Okay."

Soon class started but every time I looked at Dana, she'd start grinning.

We ended up running into Marley on our way out of class.

"How was class?" she asked me.

"Jeri had a wonderful day." Dana interrupted.

"Dana! Hush!" I said, sternly.

"Oh? Jeri. What aren't you telling me?"

"She got to sit next to Carter today in class."  
"Oh, Jeri. That's so cute."

"Marley. Shut up. You make it seem like we're in high school again."

We walked back to our dorms in the usual way. Gossiping about people we knew from the dorms.

* * *

I couldn't think straight. My mind kept drifting back to Carter. Something that I didn't want to happen.

I tried to study most of the time. Finally, I'd had enough.

"Dana, I need to get out. I'm gonna grab Marley. We need some AG bonding."  
"Okay, go ahead."

I went down to Marley and Kelsey's room and grabbed Marley. I wouldn't tell her why or where but I told her we needed to talk.

We ended up going to Frothy Joe's and parked ourselves in the back of the café'.

"Okay, Jeri. What's up?"  
"Marley. What if I pursue this thing with Carter."  
"Do you like him?"  
"Well, shit, Marley. He's gorgeous. But I barely know him."

"Yeah. So? Is it just his looks or is there something more."  
"He's got that strong silent type thing going on for him."

"So what's holding you back?"  
"My 4.0 GPA. I'm worried that if I get involved, I'll fuck it all up. I don't want to disappoint my father. He's going to be disappointed enough if I decide to do something other than the medical field.

"Jesus Christ, Jeri! Quit being a goody-goody. You've been like that all your life. You're an adult now. Look out for #1." She said getting irritated with me.

"Okay. You're right Marley. I need to get this man." I could feel my confidence growing, ever so slightly. It was a rarity for me.

"Jeri. I dare say it. You're starting to sound like me." She said with a wicked grin. "Besides, it's been ages since you've gotten laid."

"MARLEY!"

"I speak the truth, my friend. I speak the truth."

She left a short time later. I sat there, finished my latte and reflected on what I had just said. It wasn't normal for me. Then again, Carter wasn't your garden variety boy either. He was a man. He was a college man and he'd make a good husband.

Of course, I was jumping way ahead of myself. I barely knew the guy and yet I was thinking about marriage with him. I had to be nuts. Either that, or I had hung out with Marley way too much.

I emerged into the cool night air awhile later and headed back to the dorms. I had Carter on the brain and Marley's words working in my head. It was definitely different for me.

Just before I got to the dorms, I saw Carter waiting on the sidewalk.

"Carter!" I yelled, waving towards him.

He turned and looked at me.

"Hey Jeri. What's up?"

"Not much."

"Where'd ya go?" He asked, curiously.

"Oh. Frothy Joe's with Marley."  
"That Marley is sure a piece of work."  
"Yeah. Gotta love her though. She's like a piece of home."  
"It's always nice to have that."

"Yeah."

And then it was one of those awkward silences.

"Hey. I ran into your roommate over the holiday."  
"Oh, Dana. Yeah, she's great." I said, feigning surprise.

"Yeah. She seems really nice."

"Yeah. She is. Did she say anything?"  
"Well, not really. Other than the fact that she's your roomie."

"Oh, okay."

"So what are your plans for this semester?" he asked, continuing the conversation.

"Not much. Studying. Going out a little bit."  
"Sounds like fun."

"What about you?" I asked.

"Well, I'll be training with the fire department. Finishing up my training."  
"Cool."

"Carter!" a voice interrupted us. "Are you ready to go?"

I glanced up. A tall redhead walked up. She was gorgeous. Long, mid-back hair, brilliant green eyes, high cheek bones. She could've been a model.

He turned around and smiled.

"Oh hey, Michelle." He said. She walked up and kissed him. I felt a pang of jealousy hit me like a ton of bricks.

Then she saw me.

"Who's she?" She asked, suspiciously.

"Oh." He started. It was like I was an afterthought. Then he turned and looked at me.

"Michelle. This is Jeri Stone. She's a 1st year Pre-med student. Jeri, this is my girlfriend, Michelle McCallistor. She's a 3rd year Civil Engineer."

"Hello, Michelle. It's nice to meet you." I said, extending my hand.

"Charmed, I'm sure." She said, ignoring my hand. She looked at Carter.

"Carter. Come on. We have to go now or we're going to be late."  
"Okay. Well, Jeri. I'll see ya later." He said.

I just waved good-bye as he walked off. I felt a quiet rage build inside me as a silent tear fell down my face.

"Damn him." I muttered.


End file.
